Friday, 23 December 2011

VJ and actor Ayushman Khurrana’s debut role in the upcoming flick, Vicky Donor, may raise a few eyebrows. In the movie, Khurrana plays plays a professional sperm donor. The role, says Khurrana, will bring back to the fore what was discussed in hush tones so far.

In a shocking trend, city doctors confirm that city’s school going boys are donating sperm to make quick pocket money. “The story is a light-hearted take on sperm donation. I play an unemployed
college passout who becomes a professional sperm donor. While it’s true that college kids donate sperms for money, since it’s a sensitive issue, no one talks about it.”

IVF specialistDr Rita Bakshi of International Fertility Centre says, “We get some 15-20 calls and a large number of mails every month from school going boys as young as 14 and 15 who want to donate sperms. We refuse them because it’s illegal for a boy to donate sperms unless he is 21.” To confirm whether city clinic are indeed accepting sperm donation by boys under 21, HT City got a decoy pretending to be a schoolboy call up a few fertility clinics in Delhi, offering to sell his sperm.

Shockingly, the clinics readily agreed. “Come and we’ll explain the procedure,” said one clinic while another agreed to pay R1,000 for the sperm. The doctor also said, “Since there is a great demand for sperms, you can donate frequently,” and offered to forward our decoy’s number to other fertility clinics too. “Also, due to rising cases of infertility, homosexuality and single parenting, the demand of sperms is increasing.

A large number of young men find sperm donation an easy way to earn their pocket money,” says
Dr Anoop Gupta of Delhi IVF & Fertility Research Center. Boys get paid around R1,000 to R15,00 for one time donation, says the doctor. “People want tall, handsome and fair donor. Good looking boys get paid a lot better,” says Dr Bakshi. Expert says that in the absence of laws to regulate fertility clinic, sperm donation continues to be a booming business.

“Unless the Assisted Reprod-uctive Technology Regulation Bill 2010 is implemented, it is not possible to keep a check on such rackets" says Dr Kaberi Banerjee, IVF specialist, Maxhealthcare.
What the ICMR guidelines say According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR):
The sperm donor has to be between 21 and 45 years of age The ART clinic will obtain sperm from sperm banks; the identity of the donor will be kept hidden from the clinic and the couple The clinic and the couple have the right to seek complete information about the donor such as his height, Sperm donation for pocket money?

Amir Khan and Kiran Rao’s seven-day-old baby boy born through IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) surrogacy,
comes as a blessing for not only the celeb couple but also a large number of couples facing difficulty in
conceiving.

“Aamir’s decision will encourage families to consider IVF surrogacy for women who may have difficulties
in carrying their baby,” says Dr Firuza Parikh, who heads the IVF department of Jaslok Hospital Mumbai,
where Aamir and Kiran underwent the procedure.

In fact, city-based fertility experts say that since Khan’s announcement, they have been flooded with
queries. On Tuesday, Dr Nandita Palshetkar at the Fortis Bloom Fertility Centre, received over 15 queries
about IVF surrogacy. “Aamir has done a great job bringing the procedure into the mainstream. A lot of our
patients who were uncertain have now decided to go ahead with it,” she adds.
“There is a lot of social stigma associated with the procedure, but the fact that a celeb has endorsed the
cause, will encourage couples,” says Dr Kaberi Banerjee, IVF specialist, Max Healthcare.
Experts are also hopeful that this will help shed some myths around the procedure. “Unlike traditional
surrogacy, in IVF surrogacy the child has no genetic contribution from the surrogate. Aamir’s case has
helped explain that clearly,” says Dr Rita Bakshi of International Fertility Centre.

1 of 2 12-12-2011 16:03
The couple is also getting a thumbs up from the film fraternity. “By not hiding the fact that they have used
a surrogate, Aamir becomes a role model. It will make people think that if Aamir can do it, so can we,”
says adman Prahlad Kakkar.

“When an icon like Aamir opts for surrogacy and talks about such a medical procedure openly, it helps
remove taboos associated with it,” says filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. “Thanks to Aamir, couples will be able
to discuss such things more openly now,” says actor Raveena Tandon, who’s been considering IVF
surrogacy for a third child.

What is IVF surrogacy?
In IVF surrogacy or gestational surrogacy a pregnancy is created by the egg and sperm of the parent
couple. The surrogate is just a carrier and is not genetically related to the child. While the procedure costs
Rs 1 lakh upwards, a surrogate earns Rs 3-5 lakh and is paid Rs 7-8,000 per month during the pregnancy.

A surrogate shares her story
Kesar (name changed) is a 29-year-old mother of three children, who has taken up a surrogate pregnancy
to earn money for the house. This is her story...

I am seven months pregnant with the child of an American couple and I will be paid R4 lakh. My husband
works at construction sites and it’s tough to make ends meet. I already have three children and I want
them to live a good life. When I was offered the surrogacy contract, I was confused but my husband
convinced me to go ahead as the money will secure our own children’s future. I was explained the baby
biologically belongs to the American couple and I am just like a vessel, but even then, I would like to hold
the baby in my arms at least once.